Creative takes away the need for drivers with the 1.3-megapixel Live! Cam Optia. Connect it to a USB port and your freakin’ done, ready to start beaming your face all over the Webbernets. The $80 Webcam does all the fun stuff most higher-end cams on the market do, like clip to your LCD (“Say goodbye to mounting woes”), face tracking (“Be in the picture, always”) and the ability to add special effects or backgrounds (“Spice up your chats with fun video effects”). → Read More
I’ll say one thing for US Robotics, it’s certainly picked its pony and is going to stay with it until it wins. Continuing to expand its line of Skype-powered products, the networking company launched the USR9640 USR Mini Cam for Skype yesterday. Aside from being dirt cheap for a Webcam/headphone setup (just $40), it’s optimized for Skype, features true 1.3-megapixel capture capability and full-motion video at up to 30 frames per second due in part to some support for new codecs that squeeze high-quality video from a small device. The cam itself has face-tracking auto-focus, digital zoom and a full 70-degree viewing angle, plus it’s tiny and can clip to a flat-screen monitor or stand on a table. Apparently the headset’s pretty swell too, with HiFi audio support for fuller, more realistic sound. Expect the USR9640 USR Mini Cam with Headset to be available in January ’07. Webcam Is Latest Addition to USRobotics’ Skype Product Family [press release] → Read More
I’m not sure what you could actually use this for, except to keep a close eye on your pet at home, but this is Bandai’s NetTansor WiFi Webcam on wheels. It’s a funny-looking little robot with useless arms that can be controlled from your PC. You couldn’t really use him to spy on people, because I can’t imagine that anybody wouldn’t notice the 11.4-inch, 2.2-pound pink robot with the antenna over in the corner. Though, if you have ¥50,000 (about $421) and something you’d like to keep track of that moves around a lot, this may be the best bet. It’s available December 16th. Bandai’s NetTansor [Impress via Engadget] → Read More
<img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/3 the price of a new iSight. It's available now on-line. Product Page [eCamm] → Read More
Unfortunately this two-megapixel webcam only does two-megapixels for stills, and not for video, and can’t be designated an HD webcam. Nevertheless, a 1600×1200 image from a webcam isn’t too bad, and it can still capture 800×600 videos at 30FPS, which is way more than you need for Skype or any other kind of web conferencing. Unless of course you’re a sexy female and you’re recording videos of yourself, then by all means invest in an HD webcam. The HP model attaches to your monitor, be it LCD or CRT, and has a focus ring, a snapshot button, and face tracking. Otherwise, it’s not a bad webcam for laptops or desktops. Product Specs (PDF) [HP via uber gizmo] → Read More
